The present invention relates generally to spray assemblies and control valves associated therewith and more particularly to such spray assemblies and control valves which are particularly designed for heavy industrial use in cleaning and applying liquids to the working surfaces of molds and dies between operation thereof.
In many industrial forming processes, such as the molding, die-casting, drawing, and forging of various metals or other similar materials, it is necessary to apply a lubricant to the working surfaces of such dies or other forming apparatus between machine-cycle operations. Also, it is often desirable to blow air across these working surfaces to remove scale, sediment or other impurities which may have remained adhered thereto from previous operational cycles. Further, the application of air and lubricant to these working surfaces tends to cool the dies between operational cycles thereby prolonging the life of the dies. In certain cases it may also be desirable to apply a suitable release agent to promote removal of the finished article upon completion of the operational cycle.
In such applications it is very desirable to have spray assemblies which have the capability to apply relatively large volumes of fluid in a short period of time so as to enable the forming apparatus to be rapidly cycled. Accordingly, such spray assemblies should have rapidly actuable valve assemblies which provide a relatively unobstructed flow path for the liquid to be applied. Additionally, in order to minimize the necessary equipment surrounding the forming apparatus, it is desirable to provide such spray assemblies with the capability of applying both blow air to working surfaces so as to remove debris, scale, etc., as well as the desired liquids.
Additionally, because such spray assemblies are subject to rough treatment and extremely adverse operating conditions both in terms of the nature of the liquids they may be used in conjunction with as well as the operating environment, it is important that they be extremely rugged and dependable in operation. Also, because the liquids being applied by such apparatus may often contain abrasive materials, it becomes difficult to provide valve structures which afford a reasonably long useful life.
The present invention, however, provides an improved spray assembly having a minimal number of moving parts and which provides dual capability of applying either blow air alone or atomized liquids to the working surfaces of such forming apparatus. Additionally, because the valve structure of the present invention is designed to be actuated by a separate supply of control air and provides a relatively large surface area against which the air operates, extremely rapid on/off cycling thereof is obtained whereby maximum liquid flow is obtained almost instantaneously. The valve chamber is also provided with a stainless steel liner so as to provide long wear even when relatively abrasive liquids are being applied. Additionally, the spray assembly of the present invention may be easily and rapidly manufactured at relatively low cost while also providing a strong durable long lasting compact spray assembly which provides good atomization of the liquid yet may also be utilized to apply only blow air for cleaning and/or cooling of the working surfaces.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.